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Uber now insures drivers (and passengers) whenever its ridesharing app is turned on (update)
Surge pricing and conflict over its presence (in some cities) aren't the only issues facing Uber and other ridesharing services these days. Unanswered questions abound about who pays when an UberX driver gets into an accident. Rather than wait for insurance companies to figure things out -- and continue leaving its drivers and customers in a potential coverage no man's land -- Uber's extending its insurance policy to offer contingent coverage when a driver has the Uber app on, but isn't on a trip. Prior to this change, drivers' personal policies were the only insurance available, and it's unclear whether personal insurance will always apply in such instances. So, that's why Uber's now offering coverage up to $100,000 for bodily injuries (at a max $50,000 per person) and up to $25,000 for property damage if an accident happens and the driver's personal policy won't pay out. The coverage the company's offering is certainly better than nothing, but it's far from the $1 million policy that kicks in when drivers are actually on a trip, and provides a lot less than most personal policies, too. That said, it's also important to mention that the move is really a stopgap measure. According to Uber, it wants to help out drivers "while the insurance industry and state governments update policies and regulations for the new world of ridesharing transportation." Makes sense to us, but might we recommend joining the Peer-to-Peer Rideshare Insurance Coalition to help them along? Update: Uber contacted us to let us know that they are already a part of the coalition -- glad they took our advice before we gave it. Oh, and so did Uber competitor Lyft, which contacted us to say that it'll "provide backstop coverage to drivers when they are in match mode and are not providing rides. We will be rolling this out state-by-state in the days to come."
Tesla gives Uber a Model S boost at SXSW, so come on and take a free ride
The number of cabs per capita in Austin is probably quite reasonable for a city of under a million, but during SXSW, taxis can be difficult to come by, plagued by ridiculous traffic and a surge of carless visitors. So, to make our way from last night's Engadget+gdgt event to our hotel -- a roughly 15-mile drive north of the city center -- we turned to Uber's Android app. Selecting the UberX option, we were told, would net us a free ride, but we were expecting a clunky cab to pull up; instead, we got a brand new Tesla Model S, with a tie-clad chauffeur to match. The driver, we learned, was on loan from Dallas, while the gorgeous all-electric car was likely to quietly roll its way to distant roads following this week's Central Texas geek fest. But we weren't leaving Austin without our ride.%Gallery-181188%
Uber recruiting San Franciscan drivers, no (official taxi) license needed
Taxi-hailing apps like Uber and its competitors have been hitting stop sign after speed bump in their journey to actually, you know, being able to operate. Uber even had to shut down a beta in the Big Apple before the authorities gave such services the green light (with various caveats), and earlier this month, a similar win was scored in California when officials lifted local restrictions. As a result of the Golden State's leniency, Uber has started its UBERx program in San Francisco to recruit drivers who don't possess a specific taxi or limo license. That means everyone and your neighbor Bob can potentially start exchanging rides for cash, and are being promised decent compensation, completely flexible working hours, and access to a large number of clients. Luckily for fare-payers, those that wish to repurpose their whip will have to pass several tests before ferrying passengers, including a "city knowledge exam," so hopefully you won't end up on Alcatraz when you just asked Bob for a lift to Chinatown. [Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
